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Topic Review (Newest First)

02-26-2014 09:37 PM

Chicagocanine

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chip18

I never used a Martingale but I can see the value, I had Boxers that could apparently ditch a regular collar at will! And near as I could tell they were properly fitted regular collars?

But they were well trained young dogs and my backup was a "Stay" command! Still those were heart stopping moments that I would rather not have again!

So I'll most likely use and not abuse a Martingale in the future.

Yeah my dog whose prong collar came apart was a foster dog at the time, in a beginner's obedience class and an impulsive terrier so we had not yet mastered the "stay" command. Luckily he actually did not notice it and I was able to grab him quickly.
I've actually only used the martingale on one dog so far, a foster Chinese Shar-Pei whose neck was seemingly the same size as his head and his wrinkles also seemed to help to push a buckle collar right off! He never actively tried to get out of the collar, it would just come off. So we switched to a fabric martingale.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nigel

We had problems with the Petco/Petsmart variety prong collars coming apart and at fist tried using a short tether connecting the prong to the flat collar. I didn't care to have both collars on at the same time, so we looked for a better prong. We saw a few others here using the secret power ones, tried one ourselves and liked it, haven't had an issue since.

The one I had that came apart, I think I got it from my trainer IIRC. It was just a regular prong collar. I ended up switching to a quick release prong collar, which I've heard some people say they had problems with coming loose but I never had the quick release come off him. I think it was because I didn't have to bend the prongs to take it on/off.
I took a short loop tab and connected one end to the buckle collar and another to the leash, as my backup. I always have a flat collar on my dogs when we're away from home in order to hold their ID tags, I am kinda paranoid about them having visible ID just in case something happened.

My terrier was too smart though, he knew the difference between wearing a prong vs no prong and even between the prong on and connected to the leash vs the prong on and not connected, and would pull whenever it wasn't in use. I eventually got rid of the prong and taught him not to pull on a flat collar by just backing up when he pulled, and only going forward when the leash was loose ("Penalty Yards" basically.)

02-24-2014 02:07 PM

Blanketback

Chip18, I want the details! LOL! So, you put the prong on, and then what? He didn't pull? I'm not being a weirdo, I just want to know why you're so hard on yourself, lol. You always come into prong threads uttering doom and gloom warnings, and I'm very curious why. Details, please

02-23-2014 11:58 PM

Chip18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blanketback

Chip18, all this talk of your 'prong abuse' has me wondering what exactly happened? You bring it up in all the threads, and now my curiosity has finally gotten the best of me, lol. I'm not trying to be nosey or anything, so please ignore my question if it's too much. But I'm really dying to know

LOL. No not a problem, It was a BullMastiff/Pit mix I used it on (badly).

The only thing I did right with the prong is “never” using in for anything other than walks! Everything else he was stellar and he could walk "off leash" just fine! But put the prong on him and it was "go time"!

He couldn't drag "me" down the street but I don't have photos of children or little old ladies walking him either, no one could walk him but me!

I did it wrong (the prong) with him from day one he passed in 2010, but for “ten years” he resisted my amateurish attempts at using a prong!

When I got into Boxers I started to change approaches, my first Boxer/Pitt ,I told him one time to SIT!!! he sat then looked up at me like he was going to cry! He was a great dog and learned quickly.

That's when I realized that if I'm not getting the results I want with my dog then the problem is with me and not the dog! Never used it again on another dog, except,,like an idiot on Gunther!!! Got a Boxer never used ( won't even think of putting a prong on her) and taught her to walk beautifully with a flat leash and collar.

Sadly it was to late for Gunther. But I now fully understood what a moron I had been! I was JQP. I half read a book and figured, I knew what I was doing! My dog was telling me "NO YOU DON'T" but I wasn't listening!

Now I understand, it's not the tool it's the end user! It scares the crap out of me when newbies are told to grab a prong to fix their dog! And told Nothing about it's proper use!

Pretty much what I drew from my experience...is that “any tool improperly used can be abused!”

Hence for me a flat collar and leash for training ,and a new mind set...if I can't the job done with regular tools then ”I think ...what am I doing wrong?? Not what's wrong with this stupid dog???”

Then the pros get upset because a useful tool is being slandered and skilled armatures get bent of shape because they seem to think “if I can do it anybody can!”

Nobody every seems to mention “The proper use of a Prong collar?” It alway seems to be, Prong... Pro or Con?”

That's pretty much it.

02-23-2014 11:37 AM

Nigel

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chicagocanine

After my terrier's prong collar came apart in a busy parking lot on the way into training class, I always used a backup any time I used a prong. Although I don't use prongs anymore I still generally use a backup for almost any type of collar/harness except a flat collar (if I have a dog who would escape a flat collar, they would be using a martingale or an 'escape proof' harness).

We had problems with the Petco/Petsmart variety prong collars coming apart and at fist tried using a short tether connecting the prong to the flat collar. I didn't care to have both collars on at the same time, so we looked for a better prong. We saw a few others here using the secret power ones, tried one ourselves and liked it, haven't had an issue since.

02-23-2014 10:55 AM

Blanketback

Chip18, all this talk of your 'prong abuse' has me wondering what exactly happened? You bring it up in all the threads, and now my curiosity has finally gotten the best of me, lol. I'm not trying to be nosey or anything, so please ignore my question if it's too much. But I'm really dying to know

02-23-2014 05:31 AM

Chip18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chicagocanine

After my terrier's prong collar came apart in a busy parking lot on the way into training class, I always used a backup any time I used a prong. Although I don't use prongs anymore I still generally use a backup for almost any type of collar/harness except a flat collar (if I have a dog who would escape a flat collar, they would be using a martingale or an 'escape proof' harness).

I never used a Martingale but I can see the value, I had Boxers that could apparently ditch a regular collar at will! And near as I could tell they were properly fitted regular collars?

But they were well trained young dogs and my backup was a "Stay" command! Still those were heart stopping moments that I would rather not have again!

I have never, not once, seen any dog in a prong collar with a back up. Halti's yes. Prongs, no. I have been in a class where a fiesty nasty terrier broke the prong collar and went charging off after another dog in the class. They do break or open. But most people do not bother with a back up.

After my terrier's prong collar came apart in a busy parking lot on the way into training class, I always used a backup any time I used a prong. Although I don't use prongs anymore I still generally use a backup for almost any type of collar/harness except a flat collar (if I have a dog who would escape a flat collar, they would be using a martingale or an 'escape proof' harness).

02-22-2014 08:57 PM

misslesleedavis1

My trainer explains prongs like this,

A prong is a great tool to use when you understand how to use it and you need help,
The object of the game is to get them from prong to flat though, im still at the prong stage with one of my dogs though. I like them, they are amazing tools that have a much needed purpose.